Combined animal trap and feeding trough



Aug. 24 1926.

' 1,597,551 R. STEWART COMBINED ANIMAL TRAP AND FEEDING TROUGH Filed July 18,, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 He. 1. -A 7- m*- m ll I l A I I Aug. 24 {1 926. f

. 1,597,551 R. STEWART coupsmzn ANIMAL TRAP AND FEEDING waouen Filed July 18, 1922' s Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 24 1926.

R. STEWART COMBINED ANIMAL TRAP AND FEEDING THOUGH Filed July 18, 1.922 3 SheetsPSheet 5 Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

ROBERT STEWART, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

COMBINED ANIMAL TRAP ANDFEEDING'TROUGH.

Application filed July 18, 1922, Serial No. 575,858, and in Great Britain July 26, 1921.

Animal and poultry feeding troughs are a common source of the food supply of rats and the like, and this invention is designed to Combine a trap withsuch feeding troughs so that rats and the like may be caught in' the act of raiding thetroughs and, by so disguising the trap, overcome the inherent trap-shyness of the rodents- According to the present invention the animal trap comprises a floor or chute pivated intermediate its ends and normally held horizontal at one end in such a manner that the weight of the rodent upon the portion of the chute beyond the pivot effects sudden overbalancing of the chute.

The animal trap includes a tunnel open below at its inner end, the floor of the tunnel extending preferably from the outer end to about one third of its length, the chute being pivoted in said tunnel and being adapted, when overbalanced, to project downwardly through the open bottomof the tunnel.

The animal trap is combined with a food receptacle mounted above a container, the tunnel projecting into the food receptacle and being open below to the container so that the chute projects downwardly, when overbalanced, into said container. The food receptacle may have apertures in the sldes thereof adapted to be closed, such as by means of portable or hinged wire nettlng guards.

Preferably the chute is normally sustained in horizontal position'by a magnet carried by the tunnel and a keeper or'armature on the end of the pivoted chute.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings showing one construction of combined animal trap and food receptacle, by way of example. Figs. 1 and 2 are side and endviews of the apparatus and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section mid-way through the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a section on line AB of Fig. and Fig. 5 is a section on line C-D of F 1g. 3.

In the apparatus shown on the drawings, the food receptacle consists of closed ends 2 and apertured sides 3, mounted on a bottom plate having flanges 21, the apertures in the sides 3 being at a higher level than the bottom so as to provide a tray for the reception of the food and the apertures be ing adaptedto be closed by means of wire netting guards 4c removably slidable in guldes 5. The food receptacle is adapted to form a trough for animal food or water to which access may be had through the ap crtured sides 3 when the guarc s 4 are removed. The guards may be fitted in position at night or when the trap is set. The cover 1 is indicated by dotted lines on the drawing. The cover 1 is preferably portable and of inverted V-shape (as indicated in dotted line in Figs. 1 and 2) with vertical ends overlapping'the ends 2 of the food receptacle. Instead of providing the portable cover 1, a flat cover or a wire netting guard may be provided over the top of the food receptacle.

Projecting centrally through each end 2 of the food receptacle is a rectangular tunnel 6, the sides of which may be flanged outward at the base at 7 and detachably fixed to the floor of the food receptacle. The floor 9 of each tunnel (as shown in Fig. 3) extends from the outer end to about one-third of its length. The inner end ofthe tunnel 6 is thus open below and registers with a corresponding opening 10 in the underlying floor of the food receptacle. The outer ends of the tunnels 6 may project somewhat outside the ends 2 of the food receptacle, in order to restrict the length of the latter.

The two tunnels 6 are preferably disposed in line with each other and their inner ends separated by a central food or bait trough 11 which may be formed by means of two shallow vertical partitions extending from side to side of the food receptacle and fitting against and across the lower part of the in ner end of each tunnel.

The central bait trough 11 may vided with a portable cover to prevent access to any special bait by birdsor animals during the day when the food receptacle is open.

The spaces between the sides of the'tunnels 6 and the sides 3 of the food receptacle also form food'troughs.

WVithin each tunnel 6 and extending substantially the full length thereof is a pivoted chute 12 which is normally maintained horizontal and has preferably upturned sides 13 and a-down-turned outer end 14 which rests upon the floor of the tunnel 6 be proatan angle so as to clear a barrier to jump into the trough 11'when near I the rodent obtain access sings or apertures in A 6. The inner end 22 lateral play of "may be prevented by any 'suitable,=mechamand is set in slightly from the outer end of the tunnel so as to clear (when tilting) a run-board or the like which may be placed against the end of the tunnel. The sides 13 and clown-turned end 14 may be in one with the floor of the chut'e12 and theiebyserve to stiffen the chute as well as to eliminate gaps or open joints which may eXcitesuspicion.

The sides 13 of the chute are preferably slig'htly'c lear of the tunnel sides and are cut back'at the inner end (as shown'in Fig. 8 which extends acrossthe inner end of the tunnel. Thelowbarrier 8 serves to stiilenthetunnel and rendersit'more dilhcult for the-rodentthe Moreover,- should to the interior o't the-food receptacle andendeavour to. escape through the tunnel, it must pass over the end 01": the tilting chute.

barrier on to the chute thus increasing its pressure on the end-0t the chute and ensurtilting of the latter. I Thechute 12 is pivoted at about oneth rd of its length from the outer end upon a horizontal spindle 15 supportedin suitable bearthe sides of the tunnel of the tunnel' floor 9 may serve as a" stoptorlimiti ng the tilt of the chute, as indicated in Fig. 3.. Side or the spindle 15 and chute 12 veal means.

' proximately 1 portion.

position in any "The 'lengthand-balance of the chute is so for the varying weights onthe inner side otthe spindle 15 being aptwice thcdength of the outer To ensure the chute zreturning lrom the limit of depression to-the horizontal, the outer portion of the chute maybe counter-weigh'ted, for examplej by means of *a'counterweig'ht 17 bolted-to the inner'face *ot the doi'vn-turned end 14: of the chute,

Underne-ath the outer portion of the chute is fitted a steel magnet 16 adju'stably' secured I to the floor of the tunnel 6 in such a position that the two poles of the magnet are in close contact with the underside of the chute or a soit-iron or steel keeper or armature 17 attached thereto.

"The magnet 16 ensures instant interrup tion of the equilibrium so that, when the rodent has passed over the spindle 15 to a 'pointwhere'its applied weight breaks contact-between the magnet 16 and itskeeper 17; the rodent is powerless to restore the balance :of the tiltingichute' and-is precipitated into a container below the "food receptacle.

The chute may be secured in the normal animal'trap is not required, as by means of tunnel 6.

convenient manner, when the vground's'o that; the food receptacle is disposed at ground-level.

The 1 container preferably contains water to a suitable depth upon which may bespro- VlClGCl a layer of cork dust asplash when the-rodent is precipitated into to minimize the container andto accelerate drowning.

Bymaking thecontalner 20 slightly larger thanthe food receptacle, thelatter may be stowed in inverted position insidethecontainer 20 for transport,purposes afterthe tunnels 6 have bGEII iTGIDOVBClZIIICl stowed. Within thecontainer. V The cover 1 may then be stowed on the upturned food receptacle and so protect the tunnel chutes 12.

ThecontainerQO may consist or a hole. in the ground suitably reintorcedww-ith sheet iron, cement, wire E nettingv :Orthe =1ike. and any number o't containers may be usediin conjunction with one fooei receptacle cranimal-trap; the latter-being. transportedl'from contamer to container as required. 'TliisQarrang'ement will obviatethe frequent digging 0T holes-for the reception'lot thecOntainerQO.

The improved apparatus hereinbeforeiidescribedmayalso be used as an ani-mal'itrap iii-factories, stores and otherbuildings fin which case suitable run-boards may'bewprd vi'ded foraccess; to the tunnels wherefthe I container cannot be sunk into the: ground I or floon Suchaccess may; however, be provided by Simply Placing a 01 any .h'aii implement again t.- th end ofjeachjtunnfh P rated. guard. of. inverted chan l shape with an end door may; beprovided when the container is sunk. below. ground level, the guard being, placed ,over the' tray Lt'-I1lgl'lt" sothat access can only'be. gained through open.

The combined tunnel and chute may also "be adapted-for use as an animal trap in o'ther Ways, sucha in runways through-the Walls of a room -or enclosurefrequentedbyrats, the tunnel, being placed. at a suitable height the tunnel or by the enddoor wh'en 'above the ground so thattheanimals -are precipitated into the enclosurev and cannot escape therefrom. Alternatively, when. the

tunnel is passed through the vWall.alt-ground level, a container may be sunkflunderneath the inner end andprovided with" a-cover when not inuse. pins inserted through apertures 18 m the 7 Although- I have illustrated twoc tunn l proj ecting into the food receptacle,"it is't'o'be understood that one or any number of tunnels may be provided in conjunction with the food receptacle.

Claims- 1. The combination With a poultry or animal feeding trough of a pair of tunnels each projecting through opposite ends of the trough, each tunnel being open throughout its length and at its ends and having an opening in its floor a pair of pivoted and counterbalanced chutes each normally closing one of said tunnel floor openings and adapted to project therethrough When overbalanced, a 10W barrier across the exit end of each tunnel and an open food chamber between the tWo barriers.

2. A combined animal trap and feeder as specified in claim 1 having a removable cover for the food receptacle, apertures in the sides of the receptacle and detachable guards for closing said apertures.

The foregoing specification signed at Edinburgh, Scotland, this third day of July, 1922.

' ROBERT STEWART; 

